Railway switch circuit controller connection



my 23, 1935- B. A. LUNDY 2,009,269

RAILWAY SWITCH CIRCUIT CONTROLLER CONNECTION Filed July 20, 1935 FIG. .1.

QAM Y-;

INVENTOR- MM 1 QTOR Y-l Patented July Y23, 1935 UNITED-STATES RAILWAY SWITCH CIRCUIT CONTROLLER CONNECTION Beverly A. Lundy, Larchmont, N. Y., assgnor to Railroad Accessories Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York i Application July 20, 1933, Serial No. 681,263

1 claim. (C1. 287-90) This invention relates `to signalling, especially railway signalling, and more' particularly to rail- '5* ling know that there has always been a considerable difliculty in properly connecting a circuit controller, positioned at a track switch, with that track switch. This diiiiculty arises from the factv that the circuitA controller, which is usually posi- -tioned upon a track tieadja'centthe point' of the switch, doesnot remain in the same alignment with the switch as when originally installed. Y This is due to the fact, as is well known, that notv only l. do'the rails move longitudinally, as a' Whole, but

each rail does not have the same amount of forward or backward) movement. Vlurthermore,*the angular relation between the rtie upon whichthe circuit controllerisesecured and the rails does not` remain as originally set.' Y The switch point, fur- .thermora also has substantially a longitudinal movement which maybe independent of that of the adjacent trackrails.` The switch point also sometimes has a tendency-to roll; about its axis. Added to all of the 4above mentioned likely changes, there is also the change which isV occasion'ed by the normal wear of the gauge side of the tread of the rail and both sidesjof the switch point yThe effect of allfthese changesis to not only bring undue strains upon the connections between the switch point and the circuit controller, but also prevent that close adjustment which is necessary to insure the proper and desired control of the signal circuits by the circuit controller. That this difficulty is a serious one, may be readily realized when it is known that the modern circuit controller attached to a switch point is relied upon to open the signalling circuits governing trailic over that switch when the normally closed switch point is opened by an amount not exceeding one eighth of an inch. To secure such a close adjustment in structures so large and sok rough and subjected to so many conditions causing them to shift is easily realized to be a diicult task.

A principal object of applicants invention is to provide a means for interconnecting a railway switch point with a railway switch circuit controller, sometimes known as a track switch box in such a way that the ordinary shifting of the various structures effective upon the connection, will not cause an undue strain thereon.

A further object of applicants invention is to provide a connection of the type described which will be so constructed that practically a universal joint will exist at two placesV between a track switch and a switch circuit controller.

Other objects and advantages will appearas the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses andthe novel features of the invention'will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In'describing the invention in detail and the particularphysical embodiments selected to illustratethe invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing and the several Views therein in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan fragmentary view of a railway switch, its supporting ties, a switch circuit controller, and connecting means between the circuit controller and track switch constructed in accordance with applicants invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the arrangements as shown by Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the circuit controller end of the connection of applicants invention,` with some of the parts shown in section to more clearly illustrate the construction; Fig. 4 is a crosssectional'view of a socket device shown by Fig. 2, on the plane indicated b-y the line IV-IV of Fig.- 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line; Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssectional View, of the device shown,v by Fig. 4, on the plane indicated by theA line V-V of Fig. 4,' viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line.

In Fig. 1, numeral l designates an ordinary railway track tie. This track tie supports the rail 2 which has a switch point 3 operating in conjunction therewith.

'I'he tiey I also supports an ordinary and well known switch circuit controller 4 sometimes known as a track switch box. This circuit controller is illustrated as of the usual type and has a protruding operating shaft 5 bearing an operi ating crank arm 6.

The problem confronting applicant was to connect the operating crank arm 6 with the switch point 3 in such a manner that the ordinary shifting and movement of the various parts would not cause an undue strain upon the connection between operating crank arm 6 and switch point 3 and would at the same time allow an adjustment of the electrical contacts within the switch box 4 such that a departure of the switch point 3 from the rail 2 of more than one eighth of an inch would cause the signalling circuits control'- ling traic over the switch to be opened or put in other condition necessary to properly control traic.

By applicants method of connection a switch point lug 'I is fastened by any suitable and appropriate means with the switch point 3. This lug has substantially a spherical head 8 on its outer end. This head may be formed in any suitable and appropriate manner as a separable attachable part or integral.

At the operating crank arm 5 applicant provides a bolt I Il fastened in a suitable manner such as by a nut II. The bolt I on its outer end is also formed with a spherical head I2.

In order to connect the spherical head 8 with` the spherical head I2, applicant makes use of a connecting rod or pipe I3 having on each end thereof a socket of applicants construction.

The socket connecting with head I2 is best shown in Fig. 3. g concave spherical surface I4 against which the head I2 bears on one po-rtion. Opposite the con-` cave surface I4 and bearing against the outside surface of the spherical head I2 is the plunger I5, formed with a concave spherical `surface I6.-

The plunger I5 fits nicely into the cylinder I'I and has atail member I8 encircled by a spring I9, one end of which bears against the plunger I5 and the other `end of which bears against a suitable abutment. against which the spring I9 bears is a cap 20 screw threaded into the cylinder Il. The socket member designated as a whole by 2I hasa screw threaded orice 22 into which may be threaded the pipe or rod I3 for connection to the socket 2 I.

At the switch point end of the connection the spherical head 3 is within the socket designated as a whole by 23. Within the socket the spherical head 8 has one portion bearing against the spherical concave surface 24. Directly opposite the concave surface 24 a plunger 25 just like the plunger I5 lbears against the spherical head 8.

In the same way that spring I9 bears against plunger I5, aV spring 26 bears against plunger 25 and abuts against a screw threaded cap 2l.

`The socket 23 is also provided with a portion at Van angle to the axis of the plunger 25.

This portion is designated 28, and is best shown in Figs. `2 and 5. The portion 28 is formed with aV This socket is formedV with a In the presentvcase the abutment which greatly facilitates the proper placing of the pipe or rod I3 so that it will nicely clear the bottom of the rail 2.

The construction hereinbefore described is obviously one such that practically a universal joint is provided at both the switch point and the switch box operating crank arm so that movements back and' forth and shiftings of the various parts will bring practically no strain upon the connections.

Applicants connection is also such that very close adjustment of the switch box or switch circuit controller `II may be made, because if wear takes place between the spherical heads 8 or I2 and the surrounding surface, the parts are still tightly held together by reason of the resilient members'lg and 2E,`so that even if the connections haveworn, the adjustment of the switch may be made just as though they had never worn.

Although applicant has illustrated and described one particular physical embodiment of his invention, and. explained the construction, principle and mode of operationthereof, nevertheless he desires to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A socket for connection of a switch point lug to aconnecting rod running at a lower level to a track switch box and characterized by a threaded end acutelybent toward the rail, said socket com.- prising a V-shapedcasing having a recess in each arm, each of said ,recesses having a threaded mouth and one of said recesses being provided with meansadapted to form a yielding universal joint connection with said switch point lugand including a threaded abutment plug screwed into the threaded mouth of said arm and the threaded mouth of the .other arm recess opening at a suitable angle for receiving and securing said acutely bent threaded end of the connecting rod, whereby the socket maybe assembled adjustively with the connecting rod independentlyof adjustments in said universal joint, and so as to leave said abutment. plug readily accessibleffor inspection, adjustmentvand replacemenawithout disturbing the connecting members otherwise.

BEVERLY A. LUNDY. 

